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| A Map Showing the Port of Volos |
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| The Promenade |
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| The University of Thessaly |
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| The Museum |
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| The Interior of the Museum of Volos |
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| Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicolas |
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| St Konstantinou and St Eleni's Church |
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| The Railway Station |
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Near the Port
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| "Port of Volos" by Konstantinos Volanakis |
After visiting Meteora, we decided to go to the city of Volos, where my cousin Ioanna Pappas was living with her husband Vassilis and their beautiful teenage daughters Dia and Malvina. It was wonderful to see them after three years and to introduce them to my husband, Aleco. It was May 1956, and we were on home leave.
We stayed for four days in the newly-built Xenia Hotel, by the sea. Ioanna often asked us over for the most delicious meals, where we had a wonderful time because it was a home full of laughter and good vibrations. Although we were much older, Dia kindly invited us to her name-day party, on the 21st May where all her schoolmates and friends were present. I have a vague recollection that we might have met, there, a good looking young man, Nicos Asmeniades, who later became her husband. As for Malvina, she was a pet, a wonderful, intelligent child, full of fun and humour.
The city of Volos is built at the foot of Mount Pelion, it is lapped by the waters of the Pagasitic Gulf and stretches on the plain between Agria to the East, and Nea Anchiolos to the South-West.
Modern Volos lies on the sites of the ancient cities of Demetrias, Pagasae and Iolkos. According to the Greek myth, Iolkos was the homeland of Jason, the hero who boarded the ship "Argo", with the Argonauts, and sailed in search of the Golden Fleece, in Cochlis.
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| "The Return of the Argonauts" by Konstantinos Volonakis |
A Replica of Argos in Volos Harbour
To the west of Volos, Neolithic settlements were discovered at Dimini and Sesclo, with the acropolis and two beehive tombs, dated between 4000-1200 BC.
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| Neolithic Settlements at Sesclo |
We were informed in 1956, while we were visiting Volos, that excavations were being carried out on two Mycenaean Palaces, in the old town of Volos. Apparently, Ano Volos was the area of ancient Iolcos, which was inhabited since the Bronze age, circa 2500 BC, and was the capital of Mycenaean Thessaly.
South of Volos are the ruins of Pagasae, an important port from the Mycenaean to the late classical times. In 293 BC. Pagasae lost its prominence, by Demetrias, a newly-founded Macedonian city situated to the North.
In 539 AD, Thessaly and Volos were raided and plundered by the Huns. Two disastrous earthquakes in 522 and 552 killed many inhabitants and leveled the buildings, and finally, most of the population perished tragically or abandoned the area, during the Justinian Plague in 541-542. So Volos became a deserted ghost town, and the few residents who remained were in despair and deep mourning.
During the first decade of the 7th century, Greece and subsequently Volos was annihilated by Slavic raids and invasions.
Apparently, in 902, the bishopric of Demetrias survived destruction by Saracen pirates who had looted and burnt many other areas in Greece. Much later, in 1653, The area of Volos was captured by the Venetian army, under Morosini, but the occupation did not last for long.
Thessaly became part of the kingdom of Greece, in 1881. After that, the town grew dramatically into a lovely city. Many mansions, the town hall, the museum, early 20th-century factory buildings, a railway that connected Volos with Milies and beautiful churches were constructed.
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| A Painting by Giorgio de Chirico, whose Father Built the Volos-Millies Railw |
Today Volos is a lovely, large bustling city, with very good schools, excellent hotels, exclusive boutiques, trendy cafes and restaurants and pleasant, cheerful residents, a wonderful place to live in.
Along the seafront of Volos, one can find quaint, small and larger restaurants and bars that offer, mainly, the popular liquor "tsipouro" and are, therefore, called "Tsipouradika". They also serve the most fabulous seafood delicacies of the local cuisine.
And something that I must mention. While researching for this post, I discovered that during the German occupation, 700 Greek Jews from Volos were miraculously saved from deportation to the Nazi death camps. This was achieved through the acts and collaboration of two inspired religious leaders, the Bishop of Demetrias, Joachim Alexopoulos, and the Rabbi of Volos, Mosche Pesach, the patriotism and bravery of a renowned businessman, Demetris Diakopoulos (our Elpida's grandfather) and the humane feelings of the Honourary Consul for Germany, Helmut Scheffel. Also, several Greek citizens offered shelter to their Jewish compatriots, risking their own lives. The Diakopoulos family accommodated three small children until their father came to collect them.
In May 1956, with our Fiat Cinquecento, we visited Macrinitsa in Pelion, the mountain of the centaurs, mythical creatures that were half-human half-horse. They had the body of a horse and the torso, arms and head of a bearded man and they lived, only, on Mount Pelion.
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| A Floor Mosaic Depicting a Centaur Fighting in Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli |
Mount Pelion is thickly wooded with oak, beech, maple and chestnut trees and is one of the most beautiful mountains in Greece. It is, also, a very popular tourist destination throughout the year.
It has beautiful, traditional villages with stone buildings, built according to the local architecture, with slate rooves and tall windows, richly adorned. They are built on slopes or terraces and have stupendous views of the Aegean Sea.
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| A Typical Building in Pelion |
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| By Edward Dodwell |
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| The School at Zagora by Olga Prosalenti-Papadima |
Pelion has many well-known sandy and pebbled beaches and as the mountain is covered with snow from December to March, it has skiing facilities in Agriolefkes, which is becoming a very popular resort.
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| Papa Nero |
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| Mylopotamos |
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| Agios Ioannis |
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| Platanias |
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| Agriolefkes Ski Center with a View of the Aegean |
I must mention the Theophilos Museum in Macrinitsa which was bought in 1965 by the Ministry of Culture, renovated and opened to the public. It is a beautiful stone mansion, kept in excellent condition.
The paintings are divided into two zones, the first floor houses the still life collection, with paintings of flowers, plants and fruit. The second-floor houses nine very large paintings inspired mostly by the 1821 Revolution.
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| The Theophilos Museum At Pelion |
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| A Naive Painting by Theophilos |
A few words about the great Greek artist, Theophilos Hadjimihael. He was a naive painter, who became very popular at Pelion, where he painted murals in several villages. He refused to be paid for his work and only accepted food and shelter.
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| A Mural by Theophilos, at "Theophilos Coffee Shop" in Macrinitsa Pelio |
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| Caffee "Theophilos" at Macrinitsa Pelion |
He was later discovered by the renowned art critic Teriade, Stratis Eleftheriades, and was given his due recognition. There is also a large Theophilos Museum in Mytilini and another one in Volos where many of the painter's renowned works are exhibited.
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| Theophilos Museum |
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| Theophilos Museum in Mitilini |
Most of the information for this post was provided by Wikipedia, Wikitravel, Greeka Com., Culture Trip, and through hear-say from my Daughter-in-law, Elpida Diakopoulos and her father, Christophoros Diakopoulos, who are from Volos, all of whom I sincerely thank.
I'm giving you below recipes from Volos and Pelion that are suitable for a diet.
SPETZOFAI
Spetzofai is a typical dish of the region and it is traditionally prepared with local sausages. This dish is prepared with chicken.
375 ml (1 1/2 cup) dry white wine
500 g (1 lb) multi-coloured peppers, thickly sliced, seeded, each slice cut in half
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + sprig of thyme + 1 sprig of marjoram + 1 small stalk celery)
500 g (1 lb) chicken breasts, skinned. all visible fat removed and cut into bite-sized cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
500 g (1 lb) ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove. peeled and minced
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper, optional
1 tbsp olive oil
Bring the wine to a bare simmer, add the peppers and bouquet garni and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes until the peppers are cooked but still crunchy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a dish.
Then simmer the chicken in the wine until tender, transfer to the same dish with the peppers and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, minced garlic to the saucepan and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is cooked and thick. Discard the bouquet and blend the sauce with a rod blender until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper, if using.
Add the peppers and chicken to the sauce and cook very gently until piping hot. Serve sprinkled with olive oil.
PRAWNS COOKED IN TOMATO SAUCE AND FETA
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| A Gourmet Seafood Dish |
As mentioned above, these recipes are for people on a diet. Neither butter nor sugar is used and very little olive oil is sprinkled on top of the completed dish. Our philosophy is to present tasty dishes for people who have to lose weight, making their lives easier.
1 kg (2 lb) large prawns, shelled, deveined, washed, patted dry and sauteed in
A little white wine and
1 sprig of rosemary, until they just change colour and sprinkled with
1 pinch of salt
Sauce:
250 ml (1 cup) good quality white wine
1 kg (2 lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and blended into a pulp
1 large onion, peeled and grated
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
300 g (10 oz) light feta, cut into cubes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Saute the onion and garlic in a little wine, until soft. Add the tomato pulp, a little salt, freshly ground black pepper, Cayenne pepper and the remaining wine. Simmer very gently, for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Place the sauteed prawns, in a single layer, in a fireproof dish that holds them comfortably. Pour the tomato sauce, evenly, over, sprinkle with the feta cubes and freshly ground black pepper.
Place under a hot grill for 6 minutes or until the cheese melts and sauce bubbles. Remove from the heat and drizzle with olive oil and serve with a glass of the same wine used for cooking.
This dish can also be successfully prepared in a saucepan or wok.
OCTOPUS COOKED IN WINE
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| Octopus |
This is a tasty dietary dish which I hope you will enjoy.
1 kg (2 lb) raw octopus, cleaned. and thoroughly washed
1 large onion, peeled and grated
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 little water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf, tied with
1 spring of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp peppercorns, tied up in a piece of cheesecloth
250 ml (1 cup) Mavrodaphne or any other sweet red wine
125 ml (1 cup) cooking liquid from the octopus
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Place the octopus in a saucepan and cook, over medium heat, until it releases its juices. Lower the heat. and simmer it in its own juices for about 30 minutes, until almost soft. With a slotted spoon, place the octopus on a dish to cool, remove the dark skin, but not the suction cups, and cut it into small bite-size pieces. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.
In the same saucepan, saute the grated onion, the spring onions, the bay leaf and the sprig of thyme in a little water until soft and dry. Stir in the tomato paste, pour in the sweet red wine, add the peppercorn packet, and cook and stir for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
Add the octopus pieces and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cover with baking parchment and the lid and simmer gently until the octopus is tender, adding a little water, if necessary and turning the pieces around once.
Taste the sauce for seasoning, it shouldn't need salt, but add a little freshly ground black pepper if you wish. Discard the herbs and the peppercorns and serve the octopus over steamed rice, drizzled with a little olive oil.
STUFFED SARDINES WRAPPED IN WINE LEAVES
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| Butterflied Sardines |
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| The Finished Product |
A lovely fish dish of Middle-Eastern origin, which one could easily find at the Tsipouradika.
40 vine leaves, plus a few extra for the saucepan, washed, blanched and patted dry
20 sardines, scaled, head and backbone removed, butterflied, thoroughly washed and patted dry
2 lemons, the juice, reserving the grated rind for the stuffing
Coarse salt
Stuffing
1 large onion, peeled and finely grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped parsley leaves
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves only, chopped
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
A small amount of coarse salt
500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock (wine court bouillon) or more if necessary *(Please see recipe below)
Lemon slices and parsley twigs for garnish
Latholemono:
1 tsp mustard,
1 good pinch of salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Marinade the sardines in lemon juice and coarse salt for 30 minutes and pat dry. Meanwhile, mix all the stuffing ingredients well together.
Lay two vine leaves on a plate, slightly overlapping each other, shiny part touching down. Place each sardine on top and spoon the appropriate amount of stuffing, lengthwise, over half the butterflied fish and cover with the other half. Then fold the lower part of the vine leaves over the sardine, bring the two sides toward the center and roll up tightly into a neat parcel. Continue the same procedure until all the sardines are stuffed and wrapped up.
Line the bottom of a large, shallow saucepan with the reserved vine leaves and place the fish packets snugly on top. This recipe is, usually, sufficient for two layers. Cover with a plate, pour the vegetable stock carefully over and bring to the boil. Cover the saucepan, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the fish are tender.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the fish packets to a pretty dish and garnish, with lemon slices and parsley twigs. Serve drizzled with a little latholemono.
* Here is the recipe for the vegetable stock:
WINE COURT BOUILLON
This is a versatile vegetable stock that can be used in vegetarian, fish, poultry or meat dishes, soups or sauces and offers extra flavour.
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 leeks, trimmed, sliced lengthwise washed thoroughly and then chopped
2 carrots, scrapped and thickly sliced
2 stalks celery trimmed and threaded and sliced
1 bouquet garni (1 bay + 2 sprigs thyme + 2 sprigs dill)
A little salt
Water to cover
500 ml (2 cups) white wine
1 tsp peppercorns tied in a piece of cheesecloth
Place all the ingredients except the wine and peppercorns in a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then, pour in the wine and simmer for 15 minutes, add the peppercorns and simmer for 5 minutes more. Cool, strain and refrigerate the court bouillon or freeze it in small quantities.
STUFFED SQUID
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| Kali Orexi! |
I have given you another recipe for squid stuffed with mushroom risotto, but this is a recipe for dieters.
6 medium-sized squid, cleaned, thoroughly washed, tentacles removed and chopped
Stuffing:
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic. peeled and finely sliced
Chopped squid tentacles
125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
4 slices ham, visible fat removed and finely chopped, optional
3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
1 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 eggs, lightly whipped
125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
Sauce:
3 ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeded, grated, skins discarded
250 ml (1 cup) fish court bouillon *(please see the recipe below)
1-2 tbsp Greek balsamic vinegar with figs and honey
Salt, if necessary and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Saute the onions, spring onions garlic and squid tentacles in a little wine until soft and remove from the heat to cool. Then mix all the remaining stuffing ingredients well together. Stuff the squids and fasten them, securely with toothpicks.
Place the stuffed squid in a large, shallow saucepan and saute on all sides in white wine. Pour the sauce ingredients over the squid, except the salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour or until the squid are tender. Taste the sauce and season accordingly, remove toothpicks from each squid and slice thickly. Arrange on a dish, overlapping each other and cover with tomato sauce.
* FISH COURT BOUILLON
Here is the recipe for the taste booster mentioned above.
1 kg (2 lb) fish trimmings, bones, heads, prawn shells etc
2 litres (8 cups) water
1 tsp salt
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, scraped and sliced
1 stalk celery, threaded and sliced
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 2 sprigs parsley + 2 sprigs thyme}
500 ml (2 cups) white wine
In a large saucepan, cover the fish trimmings, vegetables and herb bouquet with water, add the salt and bring to a simmer and skim off the scum until no scum rises to the surface. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, then pour in the wine and simmer for 15 minutes more. Strain the stock through a colander and do not press the vegetables to prevent clouding the liquid. Now the court bouillon is ready for is ready for use.
SEA BASS BAKED IN PARCHMENT
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Sea Bass Baked
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A lovely fish dish for busy people.
1250 kg (2 lb 8 oz) sea bass scaled, gutted, thoroughly washed and patted dry
1/2 lemon, the juice
1/2 tsp of salt
2 sprigs of fresh marjoram
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 lemon slices in half
1 piece foil
1 piece parchment
Rub the fish with lemon juice and salt all over, marinate for half an hour and pat dry. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F).
On a roasting tin place a large piece of foil and cover with parchment. Lay the fish in the middle, place the herbs in the neck and body cavities, cover with the lemon slices and fold into a neat packet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When ready discard the lemon slices and replace with fresh ones.
Serve with a large interesting green salad or with a potato salad for non-dieters.
APPLE PAVLOVA
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| Baked to Perfection |
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| Dark GreekChocolate with Stevia |
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| Firikia from Mount Pelion |
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| Poached Firikia |
Here is a pavlova for dieters, because wherever sugar is required stevia is used, a sweetening agent with zero calories. Also, a chocolate ganache made with a classical dark Greek chocolate prepared with Stevia,
Meringue:
4 egg whites, at room temperature
A small pinch of salt
3 tbsp stevia
Vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp cornflour
Poached Firikia:
6 firikia apples, peeled, cored
1 cup peeled almonds lightly roasted
150 g (5 oz) stevia
1-2 small cinnamon sticks
3-4 cloves
62.5 ml (1/4 cup) Metaxa brandy, optional
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
1 Classical Dark Chocolate bar sweetened with stevia, chopped
The same weight in light Cream
1 tsp honey
(Bring the cream to the boil, pour over the chocolate and honey, after a few minutes, stir vigorously, until the sauce is thick and shiny)
First, prepare the meringue. Preheat the oven to 110 C ( 230 F) and line a large tin with baking parchment and mark out a 20 cm (8 inch) circle, in pencil.
Whip the egg whites with the salt, stevia and vanilla until stiff and shiny. Drizzle the vinegar over the meringue, sprinkle over the cornflour and fold very gently, but thoroughly, to combine.
Fill the marked circle, evenly with meringue and pipe a ridge around the circumference. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes or until it is hard to the touch and slightly golden. Then turn off the heat, and allow the meringue case to cool in the oven, with the door ajar.
Meanwhile, poach the apples. Place the water, stevia and spices into a flat saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a few almonds into each apple, and place them carefully into the boiling syrup. Sprinkle the remaining almonds into the saucepan, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the firikia are soft, but not falling apart. Pour in the brandy, if using, the last few minutes of the cooking period. Transfer the apples, with a slotted spoon, to a dish to cool and then, refrigerate.
Assemble the Pavlova just before serving. Place the meringue case on a round dish, cover with the chocolate ganache and arrange the apples attractively over. Garnish with almonds and fresh cinnamon sticks and serve immediately.
